Rail-joint.



I. S HICKSON.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1908.

Paiented Aug. 17, 1.989

1 0 1 v a u 1 1 m0 wheels due I and the merits thereof JOHN s-nIoKsoN,or NATHALIE, VIRGINiA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Leltters Patent. Application filed August 31, 1908.Serial No. 451,018.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. HIoKsoN, citizen of the United States,residing at Nathalie, in the county of Halifax and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a rail joint wherein the use ofbolts, nuts and fish plates commonly used at the abutting ends of eachrail section will be eliminated, and the rails constructed in such.manner as to be held rigidly against displacement either when'bridgingthe intervenlng space between or located directly upon the ties.

The invention further consists in the construction and arrangement ofthe rail ends to form a smooth unyielding surface at the point ofjointure, and whereby the top edges of the rail ends will be protectedfrom the wearing or pounding action of car rimarily to the methodemployed to 0' set the effect of atmospheric action upon the rails.

For a full description of the invention, and also to acquire a knowledgeof the details of construction and of the means for'efllecting theresult, reference' is to be had to the-following description andaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of tworails joined together; Fig. 2 illustrations showing in detail theformation of the rail ends; Fig.6 is a side elevation; and',"Fig. 4 is acentral longitudinal section of recessed rail end, and, Fig. 5 atransverse sectional view taken on the line w-ac of Fig. 3.

Corresponding andlike parts are referred to in the followin descriptionand indicated in all the views 0 the drawings by the same referencecharacters. V

.-Referring.to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body portionof an ordinary rallroad rail, and 2 a second rail constructed andarranged at its end to cotiperate with the abutting end of the firstmentioned rail to form a boltless joint.

The rails 1 and 2 throughout the body portion are ofordinaryconstruction with gradually enlarging and broadening ball or webportions 3 at the ends and extending transversely the thickness of thetread portion 4 to the base flange 5. One end of the Patented Aug. 17,1909.

rail is provided with a vertical reduced portion designed to form atongue 6 which extends longitudinall of the rail bet-ween the tread 4'and base ange 5, the upper and lower sides of the tongue being flushwith the corresponding sides of the rail 1, and provided at its loweredge with a rectangular recess 7. The ends of the raihl on both sides ofthe tongue 6 are formed with squardshoulders 8 and a seat 9 adapted tocooperate with the reversely constructed end of the rail 2. One end ofsaid rail 2, as shown, is provided with a vertical longitudinal slot orrecess 10 extending the entire distance between the top and bottonrofthe rail and intersected by a rectangular Web section 11 connecting thetwo side extensions or walls 12 and forming an interrupted groove forthe reception of the tongue 6. The said websection is adapted toreinforce and hold the walls 12 from lateral movement, and the tongue 6by-means of the recess :7 formed therein, is designed to-ex tend oversaid web into the larger portion of the slot as shown at 13. The ends ofthe walls 12 are arranged to overhangthe base flange 5, as shown atl4c,'to rest upon the seat 9 and abut against the shoulders 8 at bothsides of the tongue 6. Relative vertical and lateral movement of therails is retarded by the formation of the abutting end portions of thejoint, in that all are squared shoulders and in which ample provision ismade for expansion and contraction without producing a gap between therails.

With the arrangementshown, the tongue 6 of the mill is designedto extendover the web section 11 and fit within the slot 10 of the. rail 2..Whenplaced in position, the ends of the walls 12 will rest upon the seats 9in close proximity to the shoulders 8 and form an interlockingconnection between the ends of the rails without the use of bolts orfish plates, and which for obvious reasons will not weaken or spread,but on the other hand will ofi'er a smooth unyielding surface for thetravel of car Wheels. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is-:- I a Arail joint comprising a rail provided with a vertical slot intersectedbya rectangular web section to form an angular interruption, overhangingside walls or projections, and a second rail provided with an enlargedweb or ball section having a reduced extension to form a tongueextending between the In testimon whereof I aflix my signature to) andbottoig of ({he mail and provided in presence 0 two Witnesses.

wlth a recess a apte to coiiperate with the 1 angular interruption ofsaid slot, squared JOHN HICKSON' shoulders at both sides of said tongue,and Witnesses:

seats designed to receive the ends of said FRED M. HIcKsoN, overhangingside walls. W. L. SEYMO R.

